


Nights In The Tower

by Zisk



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Genre: Asexual Reader, F/M, Fluff, Late night talks, One Shot, Reader has a healthy family, Tea Drinking, budding friendship, mutual crush, who still likes kisses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-11-15 17:37:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18077933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zisk/pseuds/Zisk
Summary: It's another quiet night in Stark Tower for (Y/N), night-shift janitor, when she meets Dr. Bruce Banner, on the run from another of Tony's parties. A late night conversation blossoms into an unexpected friendship.





	Nights In The Tower

Stark Tower was quiet.  
Well, the penthouse wasn’t quiet. Mr. Stark was hosting another of his fundraising parties and the festivities had been going for at least four hours already. Ten floors below in the labs, though, that was quiet. All the scientists had either left for the night or were upstairs, trying to find someone interested enough in their theories to write them a check, and neither camp would be coming back to the labs for the rest of the night.  
The silence of the deserted hallways was music to your ears as you mopped, headphones hanging around your neck as you enjoyed the peace. Two in the morning in Stark Tower was easily one of your favorite times of day, the tranquility of it was such a contrast to life in New York and you reveled in the balance it brought you.  
You’d been working in the tower for years, learning the ebbs and flows of people and the weird little nuances of the building itself. It had become more than a job to you, slowly morphing into a strange second home that you only ever saw after dark. Which was fine by you, you couldn’t imagine seeing the hallways in daylight anymore, full of bustling people and shouting. You’d adjusted to the nightshift better than you ever thought you would, and now you didn’t want to go back.  
The sound of a stairwell door closing shattered your moment of peaceful reflection and brought your head up in surprise. A well-dressed man stared at you from across your freshly mopped floor, startled.  
“Ah, I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize- I thought this floor would be empty.” He ran a hand through his hair, flustered.  
You raised an eyebrow. “Night shift is the only time we can get this cleaned.” He shifted uncomfortably. “You can walk across the floor, it’s okay.”  
“But you just mopped.” He gestured. “It’s not dry yet. I’d hate to…” He trailed off at your head shake.  
“It’s okay, I promise. It’ll just get walked on again in the morning.” He didn’t look entirely convinced and you sighed. “Job security? If you dirty it up, then they have to keep me on to clean.” He snorted. “You’d be doing me a favor.”  
“That’s certainly one way to look at it.” He chuckled, gingerly walking down the hallway as close to the wall as he could manage.  
You watched him as he picked his way down the hall. He had to swipe a keycard to get into and out of the stairwell, so he had to be one of the scientists. You weren’t sure you’d seen him before, though, and you’d thought you knew everyone.  
His suit was well tailored and understated, flattering his slim frame. His hair was dark and unruly, his bright eyes framed by the beginnings of dark circles. He definitely wasn’t one of the scientists you’d run into, the way he kept glancing at you and then back down would have stood out in your mind. It was almost shy.  
“What’s got you back down here at this time of night?” You asked as he got closer, raising your eyebrow.  
“Just checking an experiment I left running.” He ran his hand through his hair, again.  
“Which project?” You asked, leaning on your mop and tipping your head. He glanced up at you, caught off-guard. “I know Dr. Wu and Dr. Marchenko had everything shut down for the night, are you working with Dr. Nilsen?”  
“Ah.” He blinked, stopping next to you. “I’m-“ When he ran his hand through his hair this time, he tangled his fingers in it and left his hand resting on his head. He sighed, looking sheepish. “Okay, I’m not checking an experiment.” You started to take a step back and he held his hands out in a placating gesture. “I work on another floor and I was up at the party, and I just needed a little bit of peace.”  
“So you picked this floor?” You resumed your lean on the mop.  
He shrugged. “I thought it’d be empty.”  
You snorted. “Touché. Sorry to ruin your bid for solitude.”  
He smiled faintly. “Don’t be. How long have you been working here?”  
You blinked. “Something like six years now.”  
“Have you always been on nights?”  
“They promoted me to nights three years ago.” He raised an eyebrow. “I’m the shift supervisor.” You smiled faintly at his surprised look and stuck your hand out. “I’m (Y/N).”  
He hesitated for a second before taking your hand in a firm but gentle handshake. “Bruce. It’s a pleasure to meet you, (Y/N).”  
“Bruce, huh? I was figuring your first name was ‘doctor’.” You smiled teasingly and Bruce laughed.  
“It’s Bruce to my friends, I only make investors and scientists call me doctor.” His shoulders were starting to untense, the lines around his eyes relaxing.  
You raised an eyebrow. “Are we friends so soon, Bruce?” He flushed, hesitating for a second before giving you a sly grin.  
“I’m hoping. Friends let friends hang out on mostly deserted lab levels to escape socializing, right?”  
You couldn’t help laughing. “I suppose they do. What project does Stark have you selling upstairs?”  
He shook his head. “He doesn’t, I’m fully funded.” You tipped your head and he hesitated again, weighing his answer. “Tony just likes having me around to talk to people.”  
“No wonder you made a break for down here, that sounds exhausting.”  
He nodded. “It is.”  
“What are you working on? You’re obviously not PR.” Your playful smile faltered a little as you watched him weigh his answer again. The consideration he was putting into his words was piquing your curiosity, the longer you talked the more familiar he seemed but you couldn’t place where you’d seen him before.  
“Ah- radiation.” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking almost sheepish. You tipped your head and he swallowed. You hadn’t met a scientist yet that didn’t jump at the chance to talk about their field of study, at length. You weren’t sure what to make of the man in your hallway. “I’m studying the long-term effects of gamma radiation on the human system.”  
“Gene mutation?”  
“That too.” He scuffed his foot before realizing he was still on your clean floor. He gave you a stricken look and you took pity on him.  
“C’mon, walk with me, I’ve got to get this floor knocked out.” You re-wetted your mop and resumed cleaning. Bruce stayed a couple steps behind you, pacing you down the hall. “How long have you worked for Stark?”  
“Just a few years now.”  
“Were you in New York before this?” You caught his head shake out of the corner of your eye.  
“I’ve been travelling for the last few years.”  
You grinned. “Where?”  
He sighed. “Everywhere. South America, Europe, Asia. I spent some time in Siberia.”  
“Any particular trajectory, or just exploring?”  
“Exploring, mostly.” You glanced back at him. He was starting to untense again, his gaze following the swings of your mop without really focusing on it. A tiny smile curled the ends of your lips up without your realizing it. “I was spending a lot of time learning about different cultures.”  
“Which was your favorite?”  
He snorted. “How can you quantify that? The monks in Nepal are nothing like the farmers in Romania, but they both took me in with open arms. The women living in the middle of the wilderness in Siberia were just as welcoming as my host family in Hokkaido. Details might change, but people are people everywhere. There is no ‘favorite’, there was just difference in nuance.”  
You nodded slowly. “You’re right, I’m sorry.” There was a moment of silence. “What were you looking for?”  
He hesitated again and you cringed inwardly, worrying that this was the question that would make him clam up. After a long moment, he sighed.  
“My… hobby is meditation. I was seeing what different cultures do.”  
You glanced back at him again, tipping your head. He smiled faintly. “A scientist pursuing meditation?”  
He shrugged. “I used to work with a guy that collected Precious Moments figurines.” You blinked.  
“I haven’t heard someone mention those in…” You paused. “Too long. Really?”  
“Really. He had hundreds of them, they were lining the shelves in his office. You had to move at least five of them to get a book off the shelf, and he was so particular about how you touched them.” He shook his head, smiling. “You always had to wear gloves.”  
“What was he working on…?” You asked carefully.  
“Nuclear physics.” He grinned at the look on your face. “Scientists are weird.”  
“No kidding.” You chuckled. “Stark hired a biologist a few years ago, they were working on arachnid research I think, but their office was covered in velvet Elvis paintings.”  
“Velvet Elvis paintings.” He repeated, dead-pan.  
“Yeah. You know, paintings of Elvis-the-musician done on black velvet?”  
“No, no, I’m familiar. I just… Really?”  
“Scientists are weird.” You echoed, shooting him a grin. “Your meditation seems pretty tame all of a sudden, huh.”  
“Probably in the same price bracket, what with all the plane tickets.” He sighed.  
“At least yours takes up less space.” You chuckled. “Makes it easier to switch offices. I think it took a solid week for that arachnid researcher to move everything.”  
“A week’s worth of velvet Elvis?” Bruce looked almost horrified.  
“I mean, you know, there was fragile science gear and spiders to move too. It wasn’t all paintings.” You paused, considering. “Just, mostly paintings.”  
He laughed, shaking his head. “Six years here, you said? I’m sure you’ve seen all kinds of weird things.”  
You shrugged. “You’ve travelled the world, I’m sure you have all kinds of crazy stories.”  
He went silent for a moment and you glanced back in time to catch a soft smile spreading across his face. He looked so sweet and you looked away quickly, giving your head a quick shake.  
“I’ll tell you my stories if you tell me yours?” He offered quietly. You felt a blush starting across your chest and you cleared your throat, the reaction to his words unexpected.  
“Deal.” You shot him a playful grin, willing the blush away, and caught the start of a little extra color on his cheeks. “But you go first.”  
He tipped his head, considering for a moment. “It must have been three or four years ago, I was in Bangladesh that summer and my tuktuk had broken down four hours from the nearest town, right as a family of camel herders was passing by…”  
The time passed too quickly, his phone chirped around three to summon him back up to the party and he went back upstairs reluctantly.  
You kept catching yourself smiling for no reason after he left, and it made you huff in a mix of annoyance and amusement. Trying to focus on polishing the stainless steel only helped so much, the faint tinge of rose on your cheeks refused to fade.  
*  
“-realized they were using the vents to get around, and then it only took us most of a night to get them all rounded up. After that, Stark insisted the cephalopod researchers had to stay in the basement.” You set the waste basket back down and shot Bruce an amused glance.  
“I was wondering what that big door lead to, my keycard won’t open it.” He laughed, leaning back on the desk. He was dressed down tonight, wandering down in a pair of well-worn blue jeans and a plaid button up. It had been a couple of weeks since the party and he’d taken to showing up every few nights to talk.  
“I think they had to build a special lab-inside-a-lab that’s more contained? I know it took them awhile to get it sorted. Matilda cleans the bottom levels and she said they were still running into problems for months after the move.” You’d protested his visits at first, Stark wasn’t rigid about set working hours for the scientists but Bruce was diurnal and you worried about his sleep cycles. He’d waved you off, promising that it was just the nights he couldn’t sleep anyway and he was getting more than enough sleep the rest of the time. You remained dubious, but you’d given up arguing. Besides, you enjoyed his company. The scientist was growing on you; his gentle manner was endearing and his sense of humor was in line with your own. You simply elected to ignore how often you caught yourself wondering about what it would feel like to run your fingers through his hair.  
“I can only imagine. I ran into one of the researchers the other day and they looked especially haggard, even for here.” Bruce shook his head. “I can only imagine how rough working with intelligent biological specimen is, let alone ones that understand pranks.”  
You paused, glancing back at him. “Don’t you study the effects of radiation on humans?”  
He looked like a deer in the headlights of a semi, horrified realization spreading across his face for a second before he blinked and stammered. “Ah- well, yes, but none of my subjects have tried to wedge themselves into a ventilation system to cause mayhem.”  
You accepted the dodge. “They just wedge themselves into the ventilation system for fun?” You’d learned early on that Bruce was cagey about his research, which still fascinated you, and would make contradictory comments about what he was doing. The first time he’d contradicted himself you’d called him out, and he’d gotten so uncomfortable that he’d been reduced to stammering. You’d given him an out, changing the subject to something he’d talked about before, and you’d allowed him his mystery ever since.  
In a way, it just made him more interesting.  
“Just the smaller ones.” He grinned. “The bigger ones get stuck too easily.”  
“I presumed the bigger ones tried more creative tricks.” You raised an eyebrow. “Why do you think I don’t clean your floor?”  
Bruce snorted. “Oh, because the other floors are any less crazy.”  
You jerked a thumb at the desk he was still leaning against. “Glaciologist. Nice, quiet.”  
“Until they unearth an alien.”  
“Then they have to move to one of the biological research levels and they become Amelie’s problem, Mr. Carpenter.” You snorted. “My level stays quiet, expect for the occasional small flood.”  
Bruce raised an eyebrow. “I feel like any flood here wouldn’t be small.”  
“We caught the freezer malfunction before it got too bad.” You shrugged. “Lost a couple samples, but it never got over six inches of standing water.” He stayed quiet, watching an amused look flicker across your face. “Not like the time the pipe burst.”  
“Do tell.” He grinned.  
You shook your head, turning back to the trash cart and wheeling it out of the office. “Nope, I told you the cephalopod-great-escape story, it’s your turn.”  
He sighed heavily, grinning as he pushed himself off the desk and followed along after you. He’d given up trying to help you with cleaning after the fourth time you’d corrected his mopping form, rather vehemently as he kept over-extending and you were worried he was going to hurt himself. The two of you had reached a compromise, he’d help lift the occasional heavy thing or move things out of your way but otherwise he’d just keep you company. You’d shut down his arguments by pointing out that fair was fair and if you couldn’t protest his lack of sleep, then he couldn’t protest this.  
You’d dumped half the trash cans in the next office before he nodded, smiling in amusement.  
“Okay, my turn. On my second trip to Romania, I ended up staying in a castle-“  
“Ended up?” You asked, giving him a dubiously amused look.  
“The town I was going to stay in was on fire, it was the only real option left at the time.” He shrugged. Your eyebrows knit.  
“Hang on, the town was on fire? What happened? Was anyone hurt?” You hesitated over the next trash can, turning your attention to him.  
He shook his head. “Everyone was fine, I helped evacuate the town, but there wasn’t really anywhere left for me to stay.”  
“Where did the residents go?”  
“To the next town, to regroup.” He smiled softly at the concern evident in your voice and the change in his expression made your heart skip. You cleared your throat, turning your attention quickly back to the trash can.  
“Okay, good. Everyone was okay, and you went to sleep in a castle.”  
“Right. So, I get to this castle at midnight because it’s such a long walk from the town, and it looks deserted. Everything’s covered in dust, no lights on, the door almost fell off the hinges when I pushed on it.”  
You chuckled, trying to picture the slim man in front of you knocking down a door and failing. He mock-scowled, knowing the root cause of your amusement.  
“I could knock down a door if I wanted to.” He protested.  
You nodded. “I’m sure you did it all the time in grad school. Decrepit Romanian castle, probably full of vampires. Go on.”  
He flattened a hand to his chest, looking startled. “Have I already told you this story?”  
You laughed. “Oh, get out. There’s no such thing as vampires.”  
“No, but there’s garlic and silver allergies, and iron deficiencies.” He tipped his head. “I swear I haven’t told you this story.”  
“You haven’t, but I think you’re pulling my leg. There was a vampire in the abandoned castle?” You crossed your arms, leaning back and fixing Bruce with an amused glare.  
“The castle wasn’t abandoned, there was a vampire living there.” He kept his face straight for a long moment before breaking into laughter at your expression. “My hand to god, let me tell you the story.”  
“Okay.” You sighed, shaking your head with a grin. “Romanian castle, burned town, vampire. You. Go.”  
“I get in the front door finally and make my way into the dining hall. For being covered in dust and kind of damp, everything’s still in pretty good shape so I’m able to pull together a chair and table, and get a fire going in the grate, and I’m sitting down to eat when I hear one of the giant doors at the other end of the hall start to open.”  
“Fuck off.” You laughed, staring up at the ceiling.  
“There are stranger things in heaven and Earth than are spoken of in your philosophy, Horatio.” He grinned. “I wait, and this man walks in that looks like he’s never seen the sun. Pale, thin, kinda staggers in. Of course, I think he’s one of the townsfolk who got separated and made his way after me, so I run to help him over to my table.”  
You shook your head, laughing silently, and gestured for him to continue. He blushed faintly, still grinning, and took a breath to continue right as Dr. Marchenko stepped into the room. She raised an eyebrow at the scene in front of her.  
“(Y/N).” She smiled, nodding at you, before turning a curious gaze to Bruce. “Dr. Banner, what a surprise. I didn’t think you worked this late. Or on this floor. Or in my office.”  
You blinked, Bruce had still never given you his last name and you hadn’t looked it up. Like his face, it seemed so familiar.  
Somehow Bruce managed to simultaneously pale and blush. “Karen, hi, I was just- ah…”  
“Bruce was just regaling me with stories from his trips to Romania.” You cut him off neatly, giving Dr. Marchenko a broad smile. She’d started working for Stark not long after you had and you’d found her wandering the halls her first week, lost. You’d walked her to her lab and found her a map, and ever since she’d been a little protective of you. A lot of her experiments required her presence at night and you still ran into her with a degree of frequency, every time was a delight.  
Dr. Marchenko raised a dubious eyebrow. “How kind of him.”  
“I was thinking about travelling there, actually. I asked for them.” You had to swallow a laugh, Bruce looked so uncomfortable at the look Dr. Marchenko was giving him. At your words, her attention swung to you and she furrowed her eyebrows.  
“Romania, huh? You’re not thinking of leaving us, are you?” Mild concern colored her voice.  
“Of course not.” You snorted. “But there’s this thing they give me called ‘mandatory vacation time’, something about keeping me from burning out. Plus, Candace likes being in charge while I’m gone. I can’t deprive her of that.”  
Dr. Marchenko snorted, slowly reaching for a stack of files on her desk. “Perish the thought.” Her attention slowly swung back to Bruce. “Although I’m still unclear on how you know (Y/N).”  
“I was taking a walk and ran into her. We got to talking.” He was starting to regain his footing.  
“On a floor you don’t work on.” She asked, voice flat and eyebrow arched.  
“I’m too used to the floors I work on, I wanted something different.” He shrugged.  
Dr. Marchenko looked between the two of you and finally sighed, shaking her head and looking at you. “Did you know they gave me a new pager?”  
“What happened to the old one?” You tipped your head.  
“It fell into a centrifuge, after we’d hit start.” She rolled her eyes. “I told them I needed a new leash for it after the old one broke, and they said it was back-ordered. So of course it slips off my pocket and ruins the sample set and gets utterly flattened.”  
“Okay, but a flat pager sounds fascinating.” You laughed.  
She grinned. “I argued them into letting me keep it, it just has to stay in a bio-jar.”  
You nodded, smiling. “Good call. Is the new one the same number?”  
“It is. You know you can always page me?”  
“I know.”  
She hesitated, glancing between the two of you again before nodding slowly. “Alright. Have a good rest of shift, (Y/N). Don’t stay up too late, Dr. Banner.” She walked out with one last curious glance over her shoulder.  
Bruce visibly relaxed after she was out of earshot. “Karen’s always intimidating, but that was-“ He sighed.  
You chuckled. “I think it’s half she doesn’t like that you’re in her office, and half she doesn’t like that you’re with me.” He gave you a curious look. “She’s a little… protective. Of me.”  
“Of course she is, you’re wonderful.” Bruce replied without thinking, shaking his head. You watched the panic flicker in his eyes as his words registered, your amusement helping to quell the blush rising on your cheeks. Only a little, though, as you could still feel your face heating up.  
“Thank you.” You replied, quickly turning your attention back to the shelves you were dusting and hiding your face from Bruce. “Anyway, where were you? You’d just met a vampire?”  
“Right, yes.” He cleared his throat, shuffling his feet and taking the escape you’d given him. “I ran over to help this man to my table, and as I get within grabbing distance he launches himself at me.”  
You were only half listening, frozen in the act of dusting as Dr. Marchenko’s words finally clicked home in your brain. Bruce paused, noticing your stillness, and you heard him faintly sigh as you turned around to look at him. His gaze swung from your face to the floor, waiting.  
“Doctor Bruce Banner.” You said, carefully. “Studying gamma radiation for Stark.”  
Bruce closed his eyes, looking pained.  
“You’re an Avenger.” You crossed your arms, leaning against the shelf as the full weight of Bruce’s identity hit you. “You’re the Hulk.”  
“I’m not the Hulk.” He corrected. “I’m… I’m me, I’m Bruce, but I’m also the big guy, but I’m not, and I don’t… I don’t know how to explain it, and I’d hoped you wouldn’t- When you didn’t immediately-“ He was starting to get flustered, moving his hands in broad motions as he talked and looking progressively more unhappy. Without thinking you stepped forward, resting a hand on your friend’s arm. He fell silent at the touch, blinking at you in surprise.  
“Hey, woah, okay. You’re right, you’re Bruce. You’re my friend, this doesn’t change anything.” He still looked dubious and unhappy, you gently squeezed his arm. “Nothing’s changed.”  
He sighed, looking from your hand to the ground. “I’m sorry, I should have told you. I just… I was enjoying that you didn’t seem to realize. You…” He glanced at you and away. “You looked at me like I was just another person.”  
Your heart broke for a second and you swallowed, hard, before throwing yourself into the only response you could think of. “What are you talking about, you are just another person.”  
He blinked, looking at you in surprise.  
“Bruce, we’re in Stark tower. Do you know how many crazy scientists are here? I’m half convinced Dr. Nilsen is a werewolf. You’re not the strangest thing in this building. Hell, I think the weirdest thing about you might be that you’re friends with the night janitor.” You gestured around yourself with the hand not still resting on Bruce’s arm.  
A tiny, shy smile tugged at his lips. “You’ll accept that Dr. Nilsen is a werewolf, but not that I spent a night in a castle with a vampire?”  
“Have you seen Dr. Nilsen?” You raised an eyebrow, giving him a skeptical look. “I don’t know why you wouldn’t.”  
“I’m not saying you’re wrong.” He held his hands up placatingly. “I’m just saying it’s funny.”  
You tipped your head, shrugging.  
He sighed, looking down again, and you gently rubbed his arm. “Bruce, stop. I just… wasn’t expecting that. You’re my friend, and I still expect you to tell me stories at…” You paused to check your pager. “Three in the morning.”  
He nodded slowly. “I- okay. Okay. Thank you.”  
“Stop.” You smiled gently, squeezing his arm again. He blushed faintly and you realized how long you’d been touching him for, hurriedly pulling your hand back to re-cross your arms.  
You stood in silence for a moment, processing, before you blinked.  
“Wait, did you say that vampire lunged at you?” Your voice went up in concern and he laughed.  
“Not just lunged at me, he got a solid grip on my shoulders before I realized what was happening.” You resumed dusting and Bruce leaned back against a desk, gradually relaxing as he wound his tale.  
*  
The sound of the stairwell door closing echoed down the hall. You kept wiping down the desk, tipping your head to listen for footsteps.  
“(Y/N)?” Bruce called hesitantly.  
“I’m in lab 12!” You called over your shoulder. The tap of his shoes on the floor drew closer and you looked up, smiling, as he stepped into the doorway. Your expression turned quizzical as you registered the two cups the scientist held in his hands.  
“I- uhm, I was making tea and thought you might like some.” He gestured with the cups, suddenly unsure. “It’s green tea and lavender.”  
You smiled softly, glancing at the clock over the door and setting down the rag in your hand. “What perfect timing.” You stripped the gloves off your hands, walking over to take one of the cups. “It’s just about time for me to go on break anyway.”  
Bruce gave you a shy smile, relinquishing the cup. “How’s the night?”  
“Quiet. Thank you for the tea.” You hopped up on one of the desks, settling in place and sniffing the cup curiously. “Can’t sleep?”  
Bruce shook his head, sitting down next to you on the desk. “We’ve been out on a mission the last few days and I was trying to get caught up on some work now that I’m back, and I was starting to go cross-eyed from staring at those screens so long.” He huffed and you chuckled.  
“I get that. Your brain needs a break.” You took a tentative sip of the tea and grinned. “This is fantastic.”  
Bruce blushed faintly. “Thank you, it’s one of my favorites.”  
“Thank you for bringing it down.” You took another sip.  
You sat in silence for a few moments, you blowing softly on the almost-too-hot tea and Bruce trying to covertly watch you from the corner of his eye. Which meant there was something he wanted to talk about. You’d learned early on that if you stayed quiet for a bit, whatever Bruce was avoiding would eventually fall out of him.  
You didn’t have to wait long for him to clear his throat and look over at you. “So, you’ve mentioned you didn’t grow up around here. What brought you out to New York?”  
You blinked, taking a long sip of tea to buy a moment to compose yourself. You and Bruce typically avoided personal questions, the only information you really had about each other was from the stories you both elected to share. Asking outright was… different. “My little sister wanted to go into mechanical engineering and got her heart set on this school out here. So my family moved while she was still in high school, so she’d get the in-state tuition rate. I moved out here with them to help support them.”  
Bruce processed for a moment before nodding. “How’s she doing?”  
“Very well.” You grinned, pride evident in your tone. “She’s working on her master’s right now.”  
“Your folks still live out here?”  
You nodded. “I visit as often as I can, they live a little ways outside the city. She’s still staying with them.”  
“You aren’t?”  
“Apartment’s too small.” You shrugged. “Plus, having me live in the city helps. She crashes on my couch during finals week, so her commute isn’t as long.”  
Bruce nodded. “You’re a good sister.”  
“I try.” You shot him a small smile. “What about you? Any family in the area?”  
He shook his head. “I’m an only child and my folks… aren’t around anymore.”  
“Would you like to borrow mine?” You laughed at the look on his face. “I’m serious, they love it when I bring people home. You should come with me for dinner some time, you can watch me try to be awake during the day.” You grinned. “It’s hilarious.”  
Laughing, Bruce shook his head. “I’d hate to impose-“  
“It’s no imposition, they really do love it when I bring friends with me.” You gave him a once-over. “My mother’s going to insist on over-feeding you, though. You’re too skinny.”  
Bruce flushed, glancing down at himself and looking at you quizzically. “I’m a very healthy weight.”  
You shook your head. “Not by mom-standards.”  
He huffed, considering. “I can eat a lot. Being the Hulk and all.”  
“She’ll just take it as a challenge.” You sipped the tea, the cup almost-but-not-quite obscuring your amused smile. Bruce stared at the floor for a moment, considering.  
“Okay. I guess I’ll just have to come over.” He sighed, shooting you a playful smile. You laughed.  
“I’ll talk to my folks and figure out when I’m headed over next.” You took a long sip of tea. “How is life in the tower?”  
He hesitated before shrugging thoughtfully. “Kind of like living with a dysfunctional super-family, I guess? If you want to come up for dinner-“  
“I do not want to come up for dinner.” You hurriedly cut him off, causing you both to laugh.  
“Fair. It’s… a little weird sometimes, but good. I guess it’s what having siblings is like.”  
You nodded. “I could see that.”  
He snorted. “Are the prank wars a sibling thing? Because theirs can get out of hand.”  
“Yes, and I love how you just passed the prank wars off on everyone else like you don’t participate.” He shot you a wounded look. “I bet you pull the best pranks.”  
“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow and you waved a hand at him.  
“You’re too sweet, no one would expect it. Pranks out of left field are the best pranks.” He blushed faintly, giving you a pleased smile.  
“You’ve caught me out. Natasha’s been moving everything in the tower a half inch to the right, and I’ve finally come up with the perfect move to get her back.”  
“Don’t tell me, don’t tell me.” You stopped him, laughing. “The less I know in this war, the better. I want to hear about it afterwards, tell me how it goes.”  
“Of course.” He grinned.  
You lapsed into silence again, more relaxed this time, as you both sipped your tea.  
A tiny smile tugged at your lips as you finally glanced over at Bruce. “I’m pretty sure it’s my turn to tell a story. Do you want to hear about the time some scientists managed to open an inter-dimensional portal in the lower levels, or the time my mom accidentally adopted a pack of coyotes?”  
Bruce chuckled softly. “Please, tell me more about your family.”  
You blushed faintly, strangely pleased with his choice, and launched into your tale.  
*  
It had been almost a week since you’d seen Bruce. You’d replayed your conversations in your head, trying to figure out if you’d managed to say something to offend the scientist, even as you sternly reminded yourself that he was probably just busy. Between his research and being an Avenger, you were surprised he made it downstairs as often as he did.  
When he finally poked his head into the office you were cleaning, sporting a fresh bandage on his cheek, you couldn’t help feeling relief at the confirmation that he was just out on a mission. You dropped your cleaning rag, racing over to him and catching yourself before you grabbed him, holding your hands uselessly at shoulder height.  
“What happened? Are you alright?” The words tumbled out of you, concern coloring your voice. Bruce smiled, amused.  
“It’s good to see you, too.” He chuckled. “It’s not as bad as it looks, just a scrape. I, ah…” He blushed. “I ran into a door.”  
“You… ran into a door?” You blinked, dropping your hands to your side.  
“Yeah. We were out on a mission, that’s why I haven’t been down, and I’d just… gone back to being me, you know, and I was a little out of it and I just…” He clapped his hands together. “-into a door.”  
You blinked again, a tiny smile tugging at your lips. “So you took down whatever antagonist they sent you up against unscathed, and then hurt yourself running into a door.”  
He blushed, glancing at the floor. “It’s just a scrape.”  
You laughed. “Only you. Welcome back.”  
“Thank you.” He gave you a shy smile. “How’s the tower been?”  
“Mostly quiet. You missed an almost-catastrophe, but Dr. Johannsen caught his grad students before they managed to tip over a specimen cart on the virology level.” You gave him a pained grin. “You ever wonder what would happen if you mixed, like, six different types of virus? Because we almost found out. He wouldn’t tell me what was in a couple of the tubes, he just got really pale.”  
Bruce shook his head. “Thank you for not catching some horrible new disease while I was gone.”  
“I do my best.” You chirped. “Other than losing to a door, how was the mission?”  
He shrugged. “It went fine. Go in, sneak around, turn into the big guy and wreck some things, then go back to being me.”  
You nodded. “Oh!” Blinking, you straightened and pointed at Bruce. “I almost forgot, I have something for you. Come with me.”  
Bemused, the scientist followed you down the hallway to the janitor’s closet where you’d stashed your bag. You pulled it off the hook, fishing around in it for a moment before pulling out a small brown paper bag and holding it out to Bruce triumphantly.  
“It’s passion flower tea, it’s supposed to be calming. My sister swears it’s the only way she can get any sleep around exam time.” You gave him a small smile. “I didn’t know if you’d tried it before or not.”  
Bruce reached for the bag, his surprise fading into a soft smile as he took it from you. “Thank you, passion flower is one of my favorite teas.” He paused for a moment, looking between you and the bag. “Would you like a cup? I can run upstairs and get some water…”  
You tipped your head. “I don’t know if I should be drinking calming teas so early in my shift.”  
“Fair point.” Bruce nodded. “How is your sister?”  
You rolled your eyes, smiling. “Coming up on exams and being extra needy, otherwise she’s great.”  
He chuckled softly, tucking the bag of tea in one of his jacket pockets. “I’m sure she’ll do great.”  
“She will.” You nodded. Then paused, a slow smile pulling up the corners of your lips. “You know, I think there’s still coffee and hot water in the big janitor’s closet. I can re-up on stimulants if you want to try that tea?”  
Bruce chuckled. “I’m just a scientist, am I allowed in the secret lair of the janitors?”  
“Only under direct supervision.” You nodded sagely. “And never for long. The closet keeps what it catches.”  
“Ominous.” He snorted. “But I’ll face down many dangers for a cup of tea.”  
You laughed, leading the way to the stairs. The main closet was a few floors down, full of every cleaning implement you could think of (and a few you’d never considered) and equipped with a small kitchenette tucked in the corner. The coffee pot was still partially full and you bustled around filling mugs with liquids while the scientist wandered the room, wide-eyed.  
“I don’t know what half these things do.” He called, looking back at you from a shelf of carefully organized spray bottles.  
You shrugged, dropping a tea bag in his mug. “That’s alright, I still don’t really understand radioactive isotopes and I think you’ve explained them three times already.”  
“Okay, sure, but cleaning implements are useful. My research is…” He trailed off, accepting the cup from you.  
“Also useful, just less great at getting stains out.” You shrugged, sipping your coffee. “I could try to explain everything in here, but there’s so much that we’d be here for a week.”  
“Fair.” Bruce surveyed the closet one more time, slowly shaking his head, before turning back to you. “How do you keep it all straight?”  
“Practice. Unless we’ve reorganized lately, then it’s mostly luck.” You smiled at Bruce’s laugh, the warm sound filling the room.  
“Got it. How many janitors are on at night?”  
“Five of us, counting me.”  
He looked around the room curiously. “How often do you see each other?”  
“Three times, give or take, unless something goes wrong.” You shrugged.  
“Otherwise you’re alone?”  
You nodded. “It’s peaceful, although it can get a little lonely.”  
“No wonder you put up with my visits.” He smiled playfully, taking a sip of tea and closing his eyes. “My compliments to your sister, this is a lovely blend.”  
“Thank you, I’ll pass them along.” You grinned, pleased.  
“And thank you for getting it for me.” He opened his eyes, giving you a gentle smile. You flushed faintly, shrugging.  
“Of course, what are friends for.” You turned, hiding the rosy tint on your cheeks before it could turn into a full blush, and lead the way back to the stairwell. Bruce followed quietly. He didn’t speak up until you were back on the floor you’d been cleaning.  
“I’ve never been a janitor.” He started softly. “But did I ever tell you about the time I was a grounds keeper for an old mansion?”  
“You have not.” You sipped your coffee, raising an eyebrow. “Trading labor for room and board?”  
“And lessons from the owner.” He nodded. “I really enjoyed it there, but there was this hedge maze I had to tend and I swear it warped time and space.”  
Your eyebrow climbed higher.  
“The maze was only a couple acres, but I swear I got lost in it for a week once.” He laughed at your dubious expression. “I’d been living there for about a month-“  
*  
“It still took three of us six hours, even rotating the carpet extractors out. I think that was the last time Stark let them use anything hydro-based.” You sighed. “Don’t even get me started on the shit they pulled with the Tesla coils, Corrie’s still trying to get the electrical burns off the wall.”  
Bruce shook his head wonderingly. “If they’re such a troublesome group…”  
“They do good work.” You shrugged. “They can just get a little… excitable. Over-enthusiastic.” You sighed again. “Not-considering-possible-consequences, like permanently discoloring stainless with high-voltage shocks.”  
“That’s-“  
“Corrie’s problem. That is Corrie’s problem, and she loves Dr. Yu’s group. I think it’s… what’s that one brain thing, where you love someone you’re stuck with because you have to, not because they’re good for you?”  
“I- Do you mean Stockholm Syndrome?”  
“Yes!” You snapped your fingers. “I think it’s Stockholm Syndrome.”  
Bruce tried and failed to smother a laugh. “Then do you love the science groups on your floors, despite any possible issues they might cause for you?”  
“Of course.” You grinned. “But my groups are usually fairly quiet. I don’t think Dr. Marchenko has ever managed to do something that constituted an emergency for me.”  
“Okay, but with how much Karen loves you, I don’t think she would.” Bruce stepped carefully ahead of you, pulling chairs out of your way and sliding them back as you mopped under the lab desks.  
“It’s never personal. Wyatt-the-grad-student thought I hung the stars and he still managed to spill enough acid on my floor that it ate through to the next level.”  
“How did you…” Bruce hesitated, processing.  
“Milk from the employee fridge, an extended phone call to his team lead and a lot of PPE.”  
“PPE?”  
“Personal protective equipment.” You tipped your head, trying to remember. “We broke out the good gloves and face masks, I think we had coats and boots too that time.”  
He nodded slowly. “But you all were fine dealing with it?”  
“Of course.” You gave him a cheeky grin. “We’re janitors, we’re ready for anything.”  
“I wouldn’t expect anything else.” He chuckled, then hesitated. “So, Wyatt-the-grad-student thought you laid out the heavens?”  
You groaned. “I don’t know where he got it into his head, but yes. He used to follow me around like a puppy while I was trying to clean.”  
Bruce paused before giving you a wry smile. “I follow you around like a puppy while you try to clean.”  
“Untrue. You’re walking ahead of me, and helping me clean by moving chairs. Wyatt-the-grad-student would have tripped over the chairs while trying to compose me a sonnet.”  
He snorted. “I take it you aren’t a fan of wooing-by-poetry, then?”  
“Not so much.” You shrugged. “He was a sweet kid, but not my type.”  
There was a moment of silence before Bruce glanced at you, his expression a mix of shy and guilty. “What is your type, then?” You blinked, caught off-guard by his question. “If you don’t mind my asking.”  
“Not at all, I just…” You paused, considering your words. “I haven’t thought about it in a while? I’ve been so busy with work, I haven’t really had time to-“ You huffed a sigh, running a hand over your head.  
“Hey.” Bruce held up his hands, shrugging. “I haven’t been on a date in going on five years. I’m not judging.”  
You snorted. “Fair. I think my last date was right after I started here, so give or take six years ago?”  
Bruce nodded slowly.  
“Anyway, I haven’t thought about it for a while. I mean, I guess he’d have to be intelligent and funny and nice, all those things everyone says.” You leaned against a desk, focusing on the floor as you tried to think. “He’d have to be okay with my work hours. I don’t like super tall guys, or guys that’re all muscle.”  
“No?” Bruce raised an eyebrow.  
“Naw, it’s like hugging a two-by-four. No give.” He snorted. “I like quiet guys? Like, they think things through. Thoughtful, y’know? And I’d want someone that keeps me on my toes, challenges me.”  
You glanced at Bruce, finding him listening to you intently. It made your stomach flutter and the blood rush to your cheeks, and you took a moment to sternly remind yourself that this was Bruce you were talking to. You were fairly certain your attraction to the scientist was one-sided. Even if he was interested, it wouldn’t work. He was an Avenger and you were… well, you.  
You shook your head, clearing your thoughts. “What about you?”  
“What?” Bruce blinked, startled.  
“What do you look for in a romantic partner?” Seeing him off his footing made you smile, and you relaxed a little as you leaned back on the desk.  
He shook his head ruefully. “I don’t.”  
“That’s a cop out answer.”  
“I don’t look for romantic partners.” He shook his head at the look on your face. “I…” He sighed, mirroring your lean on the desk next you. “Look, I’m the Hulk, right?”  
“Right. Sometimes.” He smiled faintly in amusement at your correction.  
“Sometimes. But part of what triggers ‘sometimes’ is my pulse rate. So, if I’m… ah, getting romantic with a partner and my pulse rate picks up…” He glanced back down at the floor.  
“You’re liable to turn into the Hulk.” He nodded, still not quite looking at you. “That’s… shit, that’s a little prohibitive.”  
He laughed harshly. “No kidding.”  
You lapsed into silence for a moment, processing, before taking a deep breath. Bruce didn’t talk about being the Hulk often, and if he was comfortable enough to share such a private detail…  
“I, ah. The real reason I haven’t been on a date in five years is that I gave up.” You started softly, stomach clenching. Out of the corner of your eye, you watched Bruce turn to look at you. “I’m asexual, and it turns out a lot of guys aren’t down with that.”  
Bruce considered for a moment before smiling faintly. “I should have known you’d understand.”  
“I don’t think asexuality and being the Hulk are necessarily comparable…” You chuckled, shaking your head. Bruce shrugged.  
“You get it, though. Walking through life with this constant barrage of ‘you should be seeking out this specific relationship’ and just… not wanting that.”  
“Okay, yes, but mine is more ‘I don’t wanna be touched like that’ and less-“ You hesitated and Bruce gave you a lop-sided grin.  
“Less ‘the city gets levelled if I see a naked woman’. True, but I still feel like you understand better than most.”  
You paused, a faint smile pulling up your lips. “Alright, fair.”  
You looked at each other, smiling in a moment of companionable silence while you both processed, before Bruce pushed off the desk and pulled out the next chair.  
“So, Wyatt-the-grad-student spilled enough acid to eat through the floor?” He asked, grinning.  
You rolled your eyes, grabbing your mop and straightening. “You can still see where they made the repairs, I’ll show you. It’s in one of the labs down the hall.”  
There was a long moment of silence and you looked up, finding Bruce watching you expectantly. Laughing, you tipped your head. “Fine, I’ll tell you the story, but in exchange I want to hear about mountain climbing in Nepal and one of your trans-Siberian railway stories.”  
“Deal.”  
It was well after sunrise when Bruce finally left to sleep. The pair of you had continued the dance of he-moves-things-and-you-mop along the entire floor, and the next one, while you both wound your stories and the sound of your laughter had filled the empty halls.  
You watched the stairwell door shut behind him, a soft smile on your face and a warmth in your chest, and tried not to think too hard about what they meant.  
*  
“Anyway, that’s when the sprinklers went off, and we were scrambling to-“ You stopped, blinking in surprise as the alarm started blaring. Bruce straightened off the desk, looking around in surprise.  
Your heart sank as you recognized the specific alarm, and you dropped your broom as you turned toward the door.  
“What is that for?” Bruce asked, mirroring your turn.  
“Emergency system for the biological level, something big had to happen to trigger it.” Your head whipped around as you scanned the hall. Finding it empty, you stepped out and headed for the stairs. “I’m surprised we didn’t hear it.”  
“Where are you going?” He asked.  
“The biological level. Amelie’s there.” You stopped in front of the stairs, your concern for your staff and the man in front of you solely occupying your brain as you gently grabbed his shoulders. “I’m going to find her, stay here.”  
Bruce looked at you, flabbergasted, as the door swung shut behind you. At no point in your descent of the stairs did it occur to you how funny it was for you to tell an Avenger to stay where it was safe, your concern overriding your usual sharp wit.  
Reaching the right door, you slid your keycard and stepped into a hall lit only by emergency lights. Your stomach sank as you strode forward, not bothering to yell. Amelie wouldn’t be able to hear you over the sirens. Which meant you couldn’t hear anything over them either, and the thought wasn’t a reassuring one. You poked your head around doorways, barely daring breathe as you listened for any sound that could filter past the siren. Nothing moved, the rooms were empty.  
You found the broom partway down the hall, laying abandoned. You looked up, frowning, and the power cut out. The emergency lights and the siren stopped in the same heartbeat, dropping the biological level into an eerie silence. Stark’s backup emergency lights kicked on a long moment later (and you’d never been more grateful for the redundancy), but the siren stayed off. You took a deep breath.  
The shriek came from a few doors down, high pitched and distinctly feminine. You flew into motion, running down the hall and throwing yourself against the door the shriek seemed to originate from.  
Amelie was against the far wall, tranquilizer gun tracking something that looked like a giant millipede with feathers. You blinked as she fired off a dart, striking the thing in the chest. It let out a sound halfway between a screech and a brooding cluck before swiping the dart from its skin and advancing another clicking step. The dart landed next to an identical dart and your heart sank. Whatever this was, the tranqs weren’t slowing it down the way they were supposed to.  
Casting your eyes about desperately, you settled on a glass vial left on a nearby table. You threw it as hard as you could, shattering it against the wall. The feathered millipede turned and you took a step backward. It tracked you, taking a step towards you. You grinned.  
A step toward you was a step away from Amelie, and all you had to do was buy time until the response team showed up.  
“Amelie, stay there.” You called, backing up slowly. The thing matched you step for step.  
“The tranq doesn’t work.” She called, voice shaky. “Be careful.”  
You stepped back into the hallway, moving slowly enough to allow the thing to gain ground. It was starting to move faster, its feet making a horrible clacking sound when it stepped.  
It was only a few feet away when you turned and started running toward the far stairwell. It let out a screech and the clacking of its feet picked up in pace. A moment later you heard the door to the room slam shut. Good, Amelie was secure for the moment.  
You glanced over your shoulder, the thing was moving faster than you expected. There was a safe room just before the stairs, if you could just get there before the… You glanced over your shoulder again, brows furrowed.  
It looked like a cross between a chicken and a millipede, increased to the size of a bear, and it looked irritated. As if to underscore that, it screeched again.  
Right. If you could make the safe room before getting mauled by KFC’s wet dream of a genetic monstrosity, you could make sure the response team was en-route. As long as it was trying to get into the safe room, it was ignoring Amelie and it’d be easier to find when the team got here. The response team leader was going to owe you a beer, he’d been betting on the next call coming from the virology level.  
You were barely ten feet from the door when the stairwell door opened and Bruce stepped in, face going from mild concern to startled realization. Your stomach dropped.  
This wasn’t your level, you weren’t familiar with what the chicken-ipede could do but you weren’t about to let it get close to the man you had a crush on. You grabbed the taser from the back of your belt, whirling on the chicken-ipede and squaring your shoulders as you thumbed it on. The electricity crackled to life.  
There was a tearing sound behind you and the chicken-ipede drew up short, looking as perplexed as something with a beak and no eyebrows could. It screeched, puffing up and pawing at the ground with its front feet.  
You blinked, still trying to process its change in behavior when the giant green hand gently clasped your shoulder.  
“(Y/N).” A familiar-yet-unfamiliar voice came from behind you. “You should go.”  
You tipped your head back, looking up into the face of the Hulk. You blinked again. He gently squeezed your shoulder.  
“Now.” He gave you a tight-lipped smile, returning his attention to the chicken-ipede. It was getting over its initial confusion, starting to advance on the two of you. The Hulk stepped between you and the escaped experiment, and you whirled for the safe room. The clicking of the chicken-ipede’s feet sped up as you ran, followed by a bellow from the Hulk, and then the safe room door slammed shut behind you and the only sound was your ragged breath.  
It was so easy to forget that the sweet scientist that visited you most nights was the Hulk, especially when he’d never… You sighed, letting the thought trail off as you thumbed the taser off.  
You’d wager a month’s salary Bruce was going to try to avoid you after this, out of mis-placed embarrassment.  
You pressed the call button on the wall, waiting for Eric-the-team-lead’s voice to come over the intercom.  
You didn’t have to wait long. “(Y/N)!” He called jovially. “We’re on the way. What did your girls let loose this time?”  
“Giant chicken millipede, on the bio level.” You couldn’t help the hint of laughter in your voice, it was a ridiculous description. “You owe me a drink.”  
“I guess I do. Anything special about this one? The scientist that called me was a little… frazzled.”  
“Well, right now it’s fighting the Hulk in the hallway.” A thump against the wall underscored your words and you winced, hoping it wasn’t Bruce.  
Eric let out a long whistle. “Really? An Avenger beat us there?”  
“Really.”  
“We’d better hurry up, we might never get to see this again.” Eric cut the connection. You closed your eyes, leaning your head against the wall as the adrenaline left your system, and left you exhausted.  
Eric opened the door after a while, letting you out into a hallway devoid of chicken-ipede or Hulk but full of drifts of feathers. You walked down the hall, recovering Amelie from her hiding place, and gently steered her after Eric to file the incident report.  
The excited team lead was only too happy to fill you in on the end of the fight between Bruce and the escaped experiment, giving you almost a blow-by-blow until he reached the part where the chicken-ipede was recaptured and the Hulk disappeared into the stairwell.  
You sighed, a sinking suspicion in your gut.  
*  
You gave Bruce a week.  
You gave Bruce a full week, which was a little longer than you really wanted to but you understood needing your space and you were really hoping he’d come back down on his own.  
You sighed, tucking your cart into the janitor’s closet and heading for the elevator. Your keycard would let you into the Avenger’s levels, perks of being the shift lead, and you were determined. You two needed to talk, at the very least you needed to thank him, and you weren’t about to let him ghost on you just because he turned into the Hulk around you.  
The elevator doors closed behind you and you swiped your card, pressing the button for the penthouse level and swallowing past the lump in your throat. The elevator began to rise.  
“Ms. (L/N).” A voice spoke up from the speakers of the elevator, you vaguely recognized it as JARVIS. “What business brings you to the top level?”  
“I’m looking for Dr. Banner.” You looked up at the ceiling, focusing your attention on the speaker.  
“Dr. Banner is in his lab, would you rather go there?” JARVIS almost sounded amused.  
“Ah- yes please.” You watched the lights on the panel change; the penthouse went dark and one a few floors below lit up.  
“My pleasure.” JARVIS quipped as the door opened and you shot the ceiling one last amused, grateful glance.  
There was one lab lit up and you made your way to it through the darkened hallway. Your steps were light and you barely made a sound as you poked your head around the corner.  
Bruce was standing at a desk, his back to you, running a hand through his hair. It was sticking up at odd angles and his shirt was half-untucked, hinting at a degree of agitation. You couldn’t help the amused smile that blossomed on your face, he was always so cute when he was vaguely rumpled.  
You stepped into the doorway, pausing to knock on the frame. Bruce jumped, whirling to face you. He blinked, startled.  
“I- (Y/N)? What are you doing here? This is-“ He paused, a slight blush suffusing his cheeks.  
“I figured I owed you a ‘thank you’.” You stepped into the lab hesitantly.  
“How do you mean?” He fidgeted, not quite meeting your eyes.  
“Well, there’s a fairly good chance you saved my life last week. I would have thanked you sooner, but you stopped coming down to the labs.” There was no tone of accusation in your voice, it was only a statement of fact, but the accusation hung in the air anyway. Bruce looked guilty for a moment.  
“Yes, well, I figured after the incident with the… escaped experiment, you might need some uninterrupted time to get things set back to right.” He fidgeted with his shirt, seeming to suddenly register his state of disarray.  
“Bruce, it’s Stark tower. We don’t get many escapes, but this isn’t our first rodeo. The bio level was back to right inside two days.” You stepped further into the room. “Why did you really stop coming down?”  
He sighed, looking forlornly at his desk. “I… didn’t know if you’d want to see me.” He mumbled.  
“Bruce-“  
“When I came through the door all I saw was you being chased by this… thing, and I thought- No, I didn’t think. I just… I needed to make sure you were alright.”  
“Bruce.” Your voice was softer.  
“So I just transformed and… You knew I was the Hulk but you’d never seen… It’s so different when you see me become a monster and-“  
“You aren’t a monster.” You cut off his rambling sharply, scowling. He looked up at you in surprise and you crossed the rest of the room in long strides, grabbing his hand and forcing him to focus on you. “You’re not a monster, Bruce. You’re my friend and you saved my life.”  
He flushed. “Like you said, it wasn’t your first rodeo. I’m sure you would have-“  
“That’s beside the point. Why wouldn’t I want to see you, you’re my friend.” He gave you an unsure, hangdog look. “I told you, you being the Hulk doesn’t change anything.”  
“I just…” His voice was so soft it was almost a whisper. “I couldn’t stand the thought of coming down to see you and you sending me away.”  
You threw your arms around his shoulders, pulling him into a tight hug. “I’m not sending you away, Bruce. I would never.”  
Tentatively, he wrapped his arms around your waist. “Never?”  
“Never.” You gently squeezed him. “You mean too much to me.”  
You felt his sharp intake of breath, then felt him slowly relax against you. “You… mean a lot to me, too.”  
The heat rose in your cheeks and you were grateful he couldn’t see your face.  
“Yeah?” You asked softly, before you could think better of it.  
“Yeah.” His voice was just as soft. He gently pulled back to look at you, a slight blush coloring his cheeks too. “You liked me for me, and you didn’t treat me any differently when you found out I’m the big guy.” He shook his head. “I don’t meet many people like that.” He paused, a little of the usual sparkle coming back into his eyes. “Plus, I think you were about to fight a chicken-ipede for me.”  
You laughed. “I don’t know if tasing counts as fighting.”  
“I’m pretty sure you’d have punched it.” He hesitated, a slow smile spreading across his face. “When people know you’re the Hulk, they don’t really fight fights for you anymore. They expect me to do the heavy lifting.”  
You shook your head. “I wasn’t going to let that chicken-ipede near you.”  
“I know.” He said softly, staring at you for a long moment. You bit your lip in a self-conscious gesture and a shadow of something flitted across his face.  
Bruce leaned towards you, hesitantly, cupping your cheek in one hand and watching you for any sign of rejection. A small, nervous smile twisted up the corners of your mouth and you leaned forward to meet him.  
He hesitated just before your lips met. “Are you… sure this is okay?” He whispered.  
You nodded slowly, pressing your cheek against the palm of his hand. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and pressed his lips against yours.  
The kiss lasted until Bruce’s watch beeped, causing him to pull back suddenly. The change almost made you over-balance, you caught yourself at the last second, and you looked up at him in mild confusion. His flushed, breathless state answered your question and you gently rested a hand on his shoulder.  
“Sorry! I- ah…” He stammered, not quite meeting your eyes.  
“Heart rate monitor?” You asked.  
“Yeah.” He all but whispered. You gently squeezed his shoulder.  
“Clever. I like it.” He looked at you, unsure again, and you gave him a teasing smile. “I like knowing I can get your heart rate up.”  
He gave a half-choked laughed, shaking his head and smiling at you. “You’d be surprised how often you do.”  
“That’s the first time I’ve heard it beep.” You pointed out. “I can’t have gotten it up that often.”  
His blush darkened a little and he leaned forward, kissing you again until his watch beeped a second time.  
“Okay.” You whispered as he pulled back. “But getting the same result from the same stimulus is hardly scientific.”  
“Are you proposing we conduct further experimentation to vary the stimuli?” He asked, eyes sparkling with amusement.  
“Yes. Maybe over dinner? Or, well, breakfast for you.” Your smile was shy and he reached out to cup your cheek again, gently brushing his thumb across your skin.  
“Sounds good to me. You get off at eight?” He asked softly. You nodded. “I’ll try to get a little sleep, then, so I’m coherent.”  
“Good.” You nodded. “Meet me in the lobby around 8:15? I need to check in with my team before I can leave.”  
“Sounds good.” Bruce smiled faintly, leaning forward to press a kiss to your forehead. You blushed, surprised by the softness of the gesture. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”  
You nodded, slowly stepping back from him and making your way back to the elevator. You couldn’t help the grin slowly blossoming on your face, nor the flutter in your stomach.  
You hadn’t looked forward to getting off work quite this much in a while.


End file.
